She paused but remained silent.

"The tattoo has meaning. Deep, dark, personal meaning," he said, his stare on the table and not on her.

"So sorry I pried," she said, not hiding her sarcasm.

It wasn't okay for him to get into her head and her feelings about family, only to decide later that not only were there some things he wouldn't reveal, but that he would freeze her out for asking a simple question.

"Look, it's not something I usually talk about. People don't usually ask."

She hadn't realized she was just anyone. She stiffened, her pride and her hurt getting stronger with every word he spoke. "If that's supposed to help, it doesn't."

He exhaled hard, and though she could see this was difficult for him, she needed more than a surface explanation. But she wouldn't beg for him to let her in.

"Would it help if I said that if I was going to talk to anyone, it would be you?"

She blinked at the unexpected, softer admission. "Whenever you're ready," she heard herself saying.

"How about now?" he asked, surprising her in an equally soft tone.

She curled her fingers into a tight ball, angry at him for drawing out her feelings when she wanted to stay distant, to remain in a place where Dare and his emotions couldn't touch her.

But they did. "I'm listening," she said begrudgingly, because she still wasn't sure that he wanted to share this with her.

He raised his head and met her gaze. "I thought you had to get on the road?"

She had an early appointment in Mystic, Connecticut, to discuss the first phase of renovations with a client. "I was supposed to head over, but I got a text from my accountant. He needs me to stop by this morning before I leave."

Peter Dalton always arrived at the office before everyone else and left promptly at five, his work meticulously completed. If he'd contacted her so early, she knew it was important and probably had to do with her brother. Her stomach churned at the thought of more Brian drama, but that wasn't her concern at the moment. Nor did she want to discuss her brother with Dare.

Liza turned toward him. The pain in his face was unmistakable and she realized she shouldn't have been so sensitive. Whatever the story was behind the tattoo, it was deep and obviously important.

And he was willing to share it with her.

"I'm listening," she said softly, with more of her heart than she'd opened before.

"Remember we talked about the party your brother threw back when we were kids?" Dare asked, the words sounding torn from inside him.

She nodded, her stomach in even more knots now.

Before Dare could continue, the front doorbell rang.

Liza frowned, annoyed at the interruption. "Just ignore it," she said. She wasn't expecting company.

For all she knew it could be a neighbor and she didn't want anyone to interrupt his story. "Go on," she encouraged him.

The doorbell rang again, followed by loud banging.

"Someone's impatient," Dare said, turning in the direction of the sound.

With a groan, Liza rose to her feet. "I'll get rid of whoever it is," she promised. She headed to the door, Dare following behind her.

She peered through the small window that overlooked the porch, took one glance at her visitor, and muttered a very unladylike curse.

"Who is it?" Dare asked.

She shook her head, wishing she'd followed her gut and ignored the bell.

"Brace yourself," she muttered as she opened the door. "Brian," she said, greeting her sibling who waited impatiently outside.

Nine.

Liza stared at her brother while feeling the heat of Dare's body and probable glare behind her. She had to get rid of Brian and do it fast.

She braced her hand on the doorframe. "This isn't a good time."

Brian looked from Liza to Dare, who'd stepped around her, still bare-chested, as he took his place close by her side.

Blatant disbelief, then anger, flooded her brother's features. "What the hell is he doing here?"

She swallowed hard. "That's none of your business. You need to go and I'll call you later." She gripped the doorframe harder, her fingers aching under the strain.

As usual, Brian ignored her request. "I thought I was crazy when I saw an SUV in your driveway. I mean it's eight A.M. and you never have guys over."

"Brian!" She didn't need her brother broadcasting her lack of a personal life now.

He shook his head. "How could you get involved with a cop?" He sneered the word as if Dare's profession disgusted him. Which it did.

A quick glance to her right told Liza Dare's jaw was set, but so far he was remaining silent. A fact that could quickly change given the tense set of his muscles. He was ready to pounce given the right provocation. And Lord knew Brian would have no trouble providing it, especially if her brother was not in control.

So far Liza couldn't tell. Though he was dressed for work, outward appearances didn't mean he wasn't hungover from the night before.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, resigned. It was obvious her brother wasn't leaving as she'd insisted.

"I'm not talking in front of him." Brian tipped his head toward Dare.

Liza blew out a stream of air. "Well, he's not leaving yet."

"Why? Because he's not dressed? Or because you haven't finished yet?"

Now she had her answer, and mortification swept over her. It was bad enough she had Dare witnessing yet another Brian moment, but now he was turning his anger on her. The brother she knew and loved would never talk to her like that before he started drinking.

"That's it," Dare muttered. Before Liza could react, he headed onto the porch. "It's time for you to leave," he informed her brother.

Brian narrowed his gaze. "It's not your house."

"I'm just repeating what your sister already said."

Dare's lazy shrug didn't fool her and she glanced from man to man, trying to figure out the best way to diffuse the situation.

"It's none of your business," Brian said belligerently, still pushing Dare when it was obvious the man was a simmering volcano.

Unable to think of a solution, Liza reached out and grabbed Dare's arm, hoping her touch would calm him before he let Brian provoke him into doing something he'd regret.

Anger pulsed through Dare and he didn't take his gaze off Liza's brother, who stupidly kept pushing Dare, obviously hoping to goad him into a fight.

Liza's nails dug into his forearm, but she didn't have to worry. Dare wouldn't do anything stupid. Still, someone had to shut this asshole up. Dare wouldn't allow him to insult Liza.

And she'd asked him to leave more than once. "It wasn't my business. Until you started insulting your sister. Now I'm making it my business. So you can leave now," Dare said, deceptively calm.

"Or what?" Brian puffed up his shoulders with a sneering sense of bravado.

Dare glared at the man, giving him more time to sweat, which he was already doing. Profusely.

"Brian, go," Liza pleaded.

"Like I said, or what?" The pigheaded man glared at Dare, not bothering to look at his sister.

At the station, when Dare was on duty, it was his job to deal with the trouble Brian McKnight caused and do it in a professional way. Nothing he was feeling now was remotely professional.

And Dare wasn't on duty.

Still, he braced his hand on Liza's back in an attempt to reassure her. "Or you'll be looking at more trouble than you can handle," he promised Brian.

The other man raised his hand as if ready to fight.

Dare shook his head at his stupidity. "It's one thing to hit a defenseless woman, McKnight. It's another to come after me."

Brian's eyes opened wide and regret flashed across his face. "Liza knows it was an accident."

Dare raised an eyebrow.

Liza said nothing.

"Liza Lou, I just need to borrow some money," he said in a little-boy voice. "Then I'll go."

Dare frowned, disgusted at the man's gall.

"You just got paid on Friday," Liza said, sounding stunned.

"I can't explain now." He shot another glare at Dare. "But I need your help."

Dare knew he was getting a firsthand look at the brother-sister dynamic and he didn't know how Liza handled the man.

Brian took a step toward his sister.

Dare blocked his way.

"Please, Liza?" Brian all but whined.

"Fine," Liza said, stunning Dare as she turned and hurried back inside.

She returned a second later, giving him no time alone with her brother.

She had her wallet in hand and Dare's eyes opened wide.

"Liza, come on. You know this isn't a solution."

She didn't meet his gaze but instead fumbled with the wallet and pulled out all the bills inside. "Here," she said, thrusting out her hand. "Take it. It's all I've got on me. Now will you go?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Disappointment rippled through Dare at the exchange.

"I need to talk to you later, though," Brian said.

Not a thank-you came from his mouth.

Liza remained silent.

Brian shot a smug and triumphant grin at Dare before heading for his car-a BMW 7 Series no less-and drove away.

Dare blew out a breath, unsure of what to think or say. He wanted to comfort Liza, but she'd just done the unthinkable, and inside he was torn.

Dare hated her brother with a passion born of years of regret, self-blame, and disgust. Brian's behavior in the time since they were kids hadn't allowed for Dare's attitude to soften. Not even now.

Not even for Liza.

The realization knocked the breath out of him and forced him to take a long look inward. When he'd gotten involved with Liza, he'd pushed her relationship to her brother to the back of his mind, to a place where he could pretend they weren't related and the past didn't exist. Even after McKnight had coldcocked his own sister, Dare had merely stepped in to help the woman he wanted, blocking out the reality that just hit him square in the face.

With Liza came this son of a bitch. And Dare didn't know if he had it in him to accept it.

Now or ever.

They headed back inside the house in silence. Dare couldn't bring himself to speak, and even if he could, he didn't know what to say. Last night had been incredible, the best sex of his life with a woman he'd wanted to know better. Today he couldn't see past the chasm between them.

He headed upstairs to get his shirt, and when he returned Liza had finished cleaning up the breakfast she hadn't eaten. She remained silent and he felt the hurt coming off her in waves. He knew he should say something to break the awful tension.

"All you did was enable him, you know." Dare winced at the words that unwittingly spilled from his mouth. Not the best choice at the moment, but at least it was the truth.

She flinched. "It's easy to judge something you can't possibly understand." She gathered her bag and her briefcase and together they walked out to their cars.

His Ford SUV was parked beside her white convertible. Nice but not something he could see her being too willing to repeat. Everything inside him rebelled at the thought of driving away and not seeing what else they could share, but the sight of her handing cash to her drunk alcoholic brother turned his stomach and brought up the past in vivid color.